Things That Have Happened

Well, it's been over a month since my last post. I started one in there somewhere about how low my motivation was. Yeah, I didn't even have enough motivation to post my low-motivation post. Fitting, I suppose.

Random adorable photo from Canada day. Look at his round little back and neck!

Although I haven't been riding as much as I should, fun things have happened since I wrote in May. Here are a couple:

1. Tony went to bootcamp
2. I rode with an almost-Olympian
3. I sent in my entry for my first ever rated show
4. I learned something new about Tony's weird mind

1. I was gone for about a week in June, right before I was supposed to ride in a clinic with Karen Pavicic. My trainer offered to ride Tony for me while I was gone so he wouldn't be a lump when I got back. Bonus- I got to ride in good footing for a few days before heading home. Our footing at home is pretty awful, and it's nice not having to worry about tipping over. Plus, Tony got to hang out with some goats.

Jelly G. Goat

Billy Bob and Tony exchanging workout tips. They've both got a "leg at each corner," as they say.

2. I rode in a Karen Pavicic clinic on June 19. She's a great teacher, and so patient. We repeated the same exercise over and over again, and she made little tweaks each time until I could really feel what was supposed to happen. Tony wants to throw his haunches to the right all the time, and we worked a ton on straightness. 

All in all, it was a successful lesson! Tony was exhausted- by the end, I felt like I couldn't even pony club kick him into the trot, and this is a horse who goes forward if I think forward! It was a very strange feeling. Could be because we went way past our 45 minutes, which is totally fine with me! Pony face can use a little butt-kicking now and then. 

My favorite part would have to be when Karen said we were a nice pair, and kept saying how cute Tony is. I think he's pretty cute myself. She also said multiple times that I have good instincts, and just need to learn what to do with them. That was nice to hear because I feel like I struggle a lot with not knowing whether or not I'm on the right track. So now I just need to learn how to work those instincts into action. 

Fancy pants McGee over here!

3. I sent in my first entry to a rated show! Okay, that's a lie. I sent one in last August, but got put on a wait-list and didn't make it in. I was not happy with how they handled the wait-list (I heard from a friend of a friend that I had been wait-listed, and then they cashed my check, and sent another back, minus the office fee. I don't think that I should have to pay the office fee for a show I didn't go to...but I digress). 

This upcoming weekend, Tony and I will be riding first level tests 1 and 2 in the opportunity classes. I'm not qualifying for championships, end of year awards, or breed awards, so I don't see the need to sign up for all the memberships for me, the horse, and his owner. That's a butt-load of money for one show. So opportunity classes it is! I'll go for the bronze medal scores next year. I'm mostly excited about ribbons and pro photos, let's be honest. 

The face of a champion, obvs.